As the reported death toll following the earthquake which hit the area
around Yogyakarta, Indonesia, nears 5,000 a Salvation Army's
locally-based Compassion in Action team is on the ground providing
assistance to survivors. Commissioner Johannes Watilete, leader
of The Salvation Army in Indonesia, reports that the first team
of 10 specialist medical workers, including doctors and nurses
from the organisation's William Booth Hospital in Semarang, has
set up operations in the town of Bantul. In addition to providing
emergency medical care there, relief team members have travelled
to the village of Wade where they distributed tents to families
sleeping in paddy fields. Major Dina Ismael, relief coordinator,
reports that the team is employing the methods which were successful
developed during the tsunami response last year. 'Our Compassion in
Action teams will be on hand to offer continuous assistance to those
who have suffered. Personnel will be rotated on a weekly basis to
maintain the support programme and sustain the assistance we are
providing. In addition to the medical field hospitals, our teams
will also provide tents and other urgently needed relief supplies.'
A fundraising appeal has been launched and an immediate grant of
$20,000 has been sent to the area by The Salvation Army's International
Headquarters to kick start the relief operation. Donations can be
made to The Salvation Army's South Pacific and East Asia Disaster
Fund at this web site using a major credit card